Residents of Burlington, Vermont, are looking to expand local voting rights to include DACA recipients, green card holders, and newly arrived migrants with work permits.
The proposal gained an overwhelming 67% support from the residents, with only 32% voting against it. The proposal will now be presented to the Vermont state legislature for approval, and it will require the signature of Governor Phil Scott (R) to become law.
The Vermont Supreme Court had previously ruled that allowing foreign nationals to vote in local elections does not violate the state’s constitution, and similar measures have been implemented in Winooski and Montpelier, Vermont.
In a similar move last year, Winooski and Montpelier allowed foreign nationals to participate in local elections, but Governor Scott vetoed the measures. However, the legislature overruled his decision.
Governor Scott has stated that he is not opposed to allowing foreign nationals to vote in local elections, but he wants the legislature to pass a bill that will extend the right to vote to foreign nationals in local races throughout the state.
The proposal has sparked a debate among political commentators, with some seeing it as a way to give a voice to the underrepresented foreign nationals in the community.
Others, however, argue that allowing non-citizens to vote is an affront to the democratic process and undermines the value of citizenship.
The issue of voting rights for foreign nationals has been a contentious topic in the United States for decades, and the debate shows no signs of slowing down.
While some states, like Vermont, have implemented local measures to extend the right to vote to non-citizens, others have taken a firm stance against it.
As the debate continues, it is clear that voting rights are a fundamental aspect of democratic societies.
Whether or not foreign nationals should be allowed to vote in local elections remains a topic of intense debate, and it will be interesting to see how the situation in Vermont unfolds.
